


Make Your Grand Departure

by sunshinexbomb



Category: Hockey RPF
Genre: Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Post-playoffs, Road Trips
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-16
Updated: 2016-05-16
Packaged: 2018-06-08 20:44:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,960
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6872671
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sunshinexbomb/pseuds/sunshinexbomb
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It’s strange to think that in just over twenty-four hours, this trip will be over. They’ll be in Victoria, two thousand miles away from where they started. Him and Jamie won’t be stuck in this liminal stretch of endless highway and sunny skies. They’ll be back to reality, back to face the sympathetic smiles of friends and families and the empty reassurances that next year it’ll be their year.</p><p>--</p><p>In which Jamie and Tyler take a road-trip to Victoria after Dallas' exit from the playoffs.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Make Your Grand Departure

**Author's Note:**

  * For [silkstocking](https://archiveofourown.org/users/silkstocking/gifts).



> Hi! This is my first time writing Stars fic, so I hope you enjoy it. I really couldn't help myself when I saw "post-playoff hurt/comfort" and "road trips" in your prompt, so that's exactly what this is. 
> 
> Lots of time was spent on Google Maps while writing this fic. I tried to keep it fairly accurate as far as how long the trip/points between the cities would be, but there's also some suspension of disbelief involved. If you're reading this and see any glaring inaccuracies, please let me know so I can fix it. 
> 
> Thanks to [Nicole](http://hockeycaptains.tumblr.com) for reading this over! All other mistakes are my own. 
> 
> I am in no way affiliated with the NHL, and if you are, please exit out of this fic. Title is from Semisonic's "This Will Be My Year".

When Jamie says he’s thinking about driving back up to Victoria, Tyler’s a hundred percent sure he’s misheard him.

“You’re driving there?” Tyler asks slowly.

“Yeah,” Jamie says. His voice sounds distant, not just like he’s far away, but like only half his attention is on the conversation. Tyler understands because he’s felt the same way the past few days, the past few weeks even. “Like a road trip, y’know? To clear my head.”

Jamie doesn’t mention the playoffs, but it still sits heavy between them, even through the phone cradled between Tyler’s neck and shoulder. He thinks about Jamie alone with just thousands of miles of open road and guilt heavy on his shoulders, and Tyler feels his chest tightening.

“Well, it’s a long drive, isn’t it? I’m sure you can use some company.”

Jamie doesn’t protest.

\--

Saying it’s disappointing getting knocked out during Game 7 of the second round is an understatement if Tyler’s being honest with himself. Knowing he was only a few games from being back on the ice is practically devastating. Watching from the press box and thinking about all the things he would’ve done differently, everything he could’ve done to help keep them going for just a few games longer, is one of the most frustrating things Tyler has gone through so far in his career.

It’s a bit sad, really, that for Tyler the exit interviews after the last Blues game feel more like a reunion than a goodbye. Even with the crushing weight of the loss bearing down on his lungs, he’s glad to at least be back in the middle of the commotion, of having his team around him again like this.

Him and Jamie finish up their interviews around the same time, and Tyler takes the opportunity to sidle up to Jamie’s side, knocking their shoulders together in greeting.

“Holding on there, Chubbs?” he asks.

Jamie tries for a smile, but it’s forced and slips off his face quickly. “I’ve been better,” he says softly, and it makes Tyler’s chest ache.

Tyler knows whatever he’s feeling, it’s even worse for Jamie who always walks around carrying the weight of the team, of their failures and their misses, on his shoulders. Jamie once mentioned, on a quiet night somewhere on the road, that there was nothing heavier than the weight of the C stitched onto his jersey, and there’s never a day that Tyler doubts that.

“Good thing we have something to look forward to then,” Tyler says, bumping their shoulders together again. “Just me, you, a couple of dogs, and the open road, right? It’ll be amazing.”

“We’re taking the dogs?” Jamie asks. His mouth quirks up slightly, more genuine this time. He doesn’t actually sound too surprised.

“Of course we are. Who’s going to watch them otherwise? It’ll be good. They’re great company most of the time.”

Jamie manages a laugh that’s enough to leave Tyler pleased.

“Thanks, Seggy. For wanting to come with me,” Jamie says and Tyler just nods.

He bites back the _anything for you_ , despite how much he means it.

\--

The day they’re set to leave for Victoria, Jamie picks Tyler up early in the morning, just as the sun is rising and the sky is that dusty, faded pink that Tyler always loves to wake up to. They don’t have much luggage, just two duffel bags stuffed in the trunk and a bag of snacks and Gatorade that Tyler keeps by his feet. Cash and Marshall pile into the back seat, occasionally poking their heads up front and snuffling in Jamie’s ear, making him smile and laugh, even if it’s only for a few seconds before his face falls again to something harder.

Tyler, as a general rule, isn’t a fan of road trips. He gets restless sitting in one place for so long, and the scenery of western America is really not all that exciting. He supposes there’s worse things he can be doing, though, than sitting next to Jamie for the next thirty-six or so hours as the Texas highway speeds past them.

“How often do you think we should stop?” Jamie asks, eyes flitting to the rearview mirror before returning back to the road.

Cash and Marshall are curled up together, Cash’s head pillowed on Marshall’s back. They’re snoozing quietly, for the moment, but Tyler’s sure that it won’t be long until they starting shuffling around, just as jittery as Tyler.

“Probably every few hours,” Tyler says with a shrug. He’s sitting with his feet propped on the dashboard, even though he knows that Jamie hates when he does that. He doesn’t really feel guilty about it, mostly because it’s easier on his calf if he doesn’t have it cramped in the small leg space.

Jamie nods, and they fall back into silence.

For a while, the only sounds around them are the hum of the engine, Tyler fiddling with the radio, and Marshall snoring softly in the back. The silence isn’t heavy, exactly, but it’s not the comfortable quiet that he’s used to experiencing with Jamie either. Tyler feels like he should say something, anything, but he has no idea what he could say right now that would help smooth down the creases in Jamie’s forehead.

For the moment, Tyler lets the silence sit, figuring that for now, it’s okay for them to be alone with their thoughts and their memories of the last few weeks between them.

\--

They stop when they can, letting the dogs run around and get out their energy in the grassy lawns of the rest stops they pass by. Tyler’s glad for the breaks also, liking the opportunity to stretch out his legs, and he thinks Jamie’s grateful for it too, if the way he tilts his face up towards the sun, eyes closed and breathing deeply, is anything to judge by.

Conversation starts opening up again when they’re driving past Wichita Falls, Tyler distracting them with mindless chatter about anything he can think of. Jamie mostly listens, and Tyler’s fine with that. It’s nice to see the tension in shoulders slip a little and the smiles on his face coming more easily.

It’s past noon when they pass the first sign for Palo Duro Canyon. Tyler’s starting to get the kind of jittery that makes his skin feel too tight over his bones, and it’s beginning to overtake him the longer he sits in the passenger seat. He doesn’t know how Jamie does it. He’s looked calm the whole drive, eyes trained on the road, one hand on the wheel the whole time. Tyler doesn’t understand how Jamie’s not ready to jump out of his skin also.

“You want to take a detour?” Tyler asks after they’re passing yet another billboard advertising the state park.

Jamie looks over at him curiously, but shrugs. “I guess we have time.”

Tyler smiles gratefully, pulling directions up on his phone and leading Jamie as they get closer to Amarillo. Jamie doesn’t ask where they’re going, and he listens to all of Tyler’s instructions without question.

“You want to go hiking?” Jamie asks with a surprised laugh.

“I thought it’d be nice. Get some fresh air. See some rocks. Maybe catch a few lizards,” Tyler says, making Jamie laugh louder.

“We’re not taking any lizards to B.C. Two pets are enough for one road trip.”

“You never let me have any fun,” Tyler says with an exaggerated pout, happy when it makes Jamie rolls his eyes.

The weather is perfect for a hike. It’s warm but not humid, and Tyler revels at feeling the sun on his face and the slight breeze ruffling through his hair. Marshall and Cash seem excited, pulling Jamie and Tyler along on their leashes as they sniff at unfamiliar rocks and shrubbery. Tyler decides immediately this was the right choice.

They pick an easy trail to walk, one that’s family-friendly and supposed to only take them an hour. Tyler’s delighted when the map they picked up specifically mentions that the trail is perfect for spotting lizards.

“It also says to keep all animals here,” Jamie points out, and this time it’s Tyler rolling his eyes.

The park is beautiful, the canyon bright with color in the mid-afternoon sun. Tyler’s never been anywhere quite like it before, and it’s breathtaking enough that he wishes that they had more time, that every step didn’t put pressure on the muscles of his calves and remind him that he body’s still not at a hundred percent.

“Don’t have anything like this in Dallas, do we?” Tyler asks, snapping a picture of a rust colored lizard before it scampers away quickly at Marshall’s loud barking.

“Seems like a whole other world,” Jamie agrees. “Did you ever think you would end up somewhere like this?”

Tyler’s not sure if Jamie means Dallas or Texas or the NHL, or even if he just means here at this moment, him and Jamie and the dogs, miles and miles away from anywhere they call home but still feeling a soft simmer of content despite the crush of the elimination.

Anyway he looks at it, the answer is still the same. “No, definitely not.”

The trail loops around the river, and they stop for a while, sitting up on some of the lower rocks and staring out at the water. Marshall and Cash wander for a while, but get bored eventually by the tug of the leash on their collar stopping them from going too far from where they’re tied up securely. Eventually they circle back to Jamie and Tyler, snoozing peacefully as the sun beats down on their backs.

Jamie lies down on his back, arms folded behind his head, eyes closed with his legs dangling off the edge of the rock. Tyler takes a second to just look, tracing the familiar lines of his face, the curve of his smile. He looks much more at peace than he has in days.

“This trip, was it really just to clear your head?” Tyler asks curiously.

“I mean, I guess,” Jamie says. “More than anything it was just to - get away. The idea of being in Dallas was too much, y’know? I knew I would drive myself crazy sitting at home, thinking about the game.”

“So you thought it would be better to drive yourself crazy sitting in a car and thinking about the game?” Tyler asks dryly.

Jamie laughs. “No. But at least I would have something to do then, something else to think about. It’s easier with you here, though, I think.”

That much Tyler definitely agrees with. He can’t imagine being by himself right now, not when he knows where his thoughts would lead, to all the _what ifs_ and _what could have beens_.

Jamie mumbles something else that Tyler doesn’t catch, and he looks down at him in confusion. “What?”

Jamie’s sits up, arms folding on top of his bent legs. His cheeks are pink, the bridge of his nose starting to burn, but Tyler thinks the color isn’t all from the sun. “I just - I was saying the series. That would’ve been easier too. With you there.”

Tyler’s stomach bottoms out. He thinks Jamie meant it as a compliment, but it doesn’t feel like one. If anything, it feels like a slap to the face, the same fireworks he felt bursting in his calf during Game 2 now exploding in his chest.

“Would’ve been there if I could have,” he says, and Jamie looks surprised at the coldness of his voice.

“No, I didn’t mean -” Jamie sighs in obvious frustration. “I know that. You don’t think I know that better than anyone? I don’t mean it would’ve been easier to win. Like, yeah, it would’ve been, probably. I just meant - it would’ve been easier for me? It’s always easier for me when I know you’re there with me. On the ice. Off the ice. It’s just - easy.”

Tyler deflates a little, sighing deeply. His stomach twists looking at the frown on Jamie’s face. He doesn’t know what to say.

“It’s easier with you too,” he admits. “I just wish I could’ve been with you guys. It was horrible sitting there and just watching and knowing I couldn’t do anything.”

Jamie nods, moving closer to him. They sit there, pressed together along their sides. Jamie’s skin is tacky with sweat and it’s too hot to be sitting so close like this, but Tyler can’t bear to move away either.

“I know,” Jamie says. “But, we have time, right? I know we can do it. You and me together. We’re gonna get the Cup.”

Even if it wasn’t for Jamie’s big, brown eyes filling with sincerity, Tyler would believe him.

“Do you think Cash will be too big to put in the Cup by then?” Tyler asks, breaking the tension enough to make Jamie laugh full and big, causing Tyler’s stomach to flip.

“He might be. But maybe we can get you a few lizards to put in there, instead.”

Jamie’s still laughing when Tyler pushes him away with a smile.

\--

They keep driving, stopping every couple of hours until they’re just outside of Denver and Tyler’s moaning up a storm about how hungry he is.

“We have snacks,” Jamie hums. He seems refreshed after taking a quick nap while Tyler drove them over the border of New Mexico and into Colorado. Tyler’s exhausted, though, tired and hungry and on the verge of cranky from spending so much time in the car.

“Were you planning on driving through the night?” Tyler asks, eyes widening when Jamie shoots him a sheepish grin. Marshall whines in the back, like even he knows Jamie’s being ridiculous.

“No way,” Tyler says. “We’re stopping in Denver, getting dinner, and then crashing in a hotel for the night. I’m not sleeping in the car, Jamie.”

Jamie looks like he’s going to protest, and Tyler’s almost surprised when he shrugs in resignation instead. “Okay, fine.”

They check into a Marriott in Denver, Tyler collapsing on the plush bed as soon as they’re inside their room.

“Oh God, a real bed,” Tyler moans, kicking his shoes off and snuggling with one of the fluffy, white pillows.

“You say that like we’ve been on the road for days instead of hours,” Jamie says, laughing. But he lays down on his bed too, not complaining when Cash jumps in next to him, snuggling under his arm.

“Feels like days,” Tyler mumbles into his pillow, giggling when Marshall snuffles into his ear. “Think we can just order room service for dinner?”

“Why not?”

They find the Penguins vs Lightning game on TV, catching it just as it goes into OT, and eat side-by-side on Jamie’s bed, elbows bumping and both of them nearly upending their dinner on more than one occasion during ridiculously bad calls or dirty hits.

“Makes you almost glad we won’t be playing one of them, doesn’t it?” Tyler asks, wincing at the familiar crunch of a body smashing against the boards.

Jamie makes a non-commitment noise, and Tyler feels stupid asking that question. They both know the answer. It doesn’t matter how rough the game is or how hard the competition is. There’s nothing they’d rather be doing than getting their chance on the ice, of proving their worth in the game.

Tyler’s eyes start getting heavy once they get into double OT, and he feels himself drifting, exhausted from travel and feeling content with food in his belly and Jamie warm beside him.

“Do you want to finish the game?” Jamie asks, and Tyler nods even though all he wants is to sleep.

“Yeah, ‘course.”

Tyler’s asleep before the game winning goal.

\--

Tyler wakes up the next morning just on the verge of too-warm, an arm draped over his waist and a dog licking at his face. Overall, it’s not the weirdest position he’s woken up in.

“Marshall, no,” Tyler whines, but Marshall just barks happily, getting in another big kiss before moving on to paw at the door noisily.

“I think the dogs need to be taken out,” Jamie mumbles, but he tightens his arm around Tyler’s waist.

“You do it,” Tyler says.

“They’re your dogs.”

Tyler doesn’t remember falling asleep in Jamie’s bed, but he’s comfortable here, Jamie’s chest warm against his back. It’s been a long time since he’s slept in the same bed as someone else, and the intimacy is - well it’s just nice, really. He doesn’t want to get up, ever.

Tyler’s just drifting off again when there’s more loud barking from the bed and he groans. “Okay, I’m up. I’m up.”

Jamie rolls back into spot where Tyler’s body was when Tyler gets up, falling right back asleep. He looks soft, face clear of post-playoff worry. It’s the most relaxed Tyler’s seen him in forever.

Tyler gets Marshall and Cash on their leashes, getting them outside as quickly as he can so they can do their business. Both of the dogs seem happy to be outside, yipping excitedly and sniffing at everything they can find while Tyler scrolls through his phone, lazily swiping away his notifications before opening Google instead. He wonders if he can get Jamie to spend a few hours in the city so they can finally see more of Denver than just the Pepsi Center.

It’s not until they’re looping around the block and back to the hotel that Tyler finds the perfect place to go, something he can pass off as just a pitstop on their way out the city.

Jamie’s awake when Tyler gets back to their room, face pink and hair wet like he’s just gotten out of the shower. He smiles softly, letting Marshall and Cash jump all over him like they haven’t seen him in days, and Tyler’s tummy swoops at the sight.

“I want to see The Bear,” Tyler says in greeting.

Jamie looks at him, big doe eyes blinking slowly in confusion. “I’m sorry. The what?”

“It’s this giant bear,” Tyler says, showing Jamie a picture on his phone. “It’s some art piece, I guess? We’ll pass it on our way out of the city and I want to see it.”

Tyler’s not sure what it is exactly about The Bear that caught his eye, but he knows he need to see it before they leave.

“Okay, yeah,” Jamie agrees easily. “We’ll see The Bear.”

Tyler beams.

\--

The Bear, it turns out, is really fucking huge. Tyler knew this, of course. But there’s one thing reading that it’s 40-feet tall, and another standing in its shadow, looking up at its giant head and blue paws pressed against the glass of the Denver Convention Center. Tyler’s not a small guy, but next to this bear, he feels about as big as an ant.

“I don’t get it,” Jamie says, craning his neck up to look at the bear’s face, “like is it just a bear? What does it mean?”

Marshall and Cash are circling around the statue’s massive paws, sniffing at it curiously. Tyler seriously hopes they don’t decide to mark their territory on a beloved city monument.

“It’s supposed to be like curiosity,” Tyler says, because he’d read as much as he could about the piece on the way there. “Like it’s looking into the building, right? So it’s like the bear is supposed to be looking into all the ideas and shit that are being shared in there.”

“Right,” Jamie says, nodding. He doesn’t look as impressed as Tyler feels.

There’s something else about The Bear, though, that Tyler likes, and he can’t put his finger on it. It’s not its size, or the symbolism of creativity and curiosity that surrounds it. He looks at it closer, the way its front paws push against the glass, and the lines and curves of its face.

“It sort of looks like the bear is holding the building up, doesn’t it?” Jamie asks. “It’s pretty cool.”

Tyler nods slowly, something in his chest unfurling. He thinks that’s what it is. Not the intended symbolism, but what it actually looks like. The Bear and its strength and the pressure of it holding up this giant building where people go to share their thoughts and ideas and create and learn and grow. It’s something about support and responsibility. Tyler wonders if The Bear ever feels the weight of the metaphorical C on its chest.

“It’s really cool,” Tyler agrees, smiling and sneaking a glance at Jamie as he snaps a couple pictures of the statue on his phone.

\--

They spend most of the day driving through Wyoming, which is just as dull as it sounds. The time passes by quickly, though, with the two of them stopping every once and a while to let the dogs out and so Tyler doesn’t go absolutely stir-crazy.

This day seems lighter than the first. It’s easier to talk, and they discuss the Eastern Conference game they’d watched the night before and make predictions about what the next Blues vs Sharks game might look like, who would win, who would move on, what advantages and disadvantages each team had. They don’t talk about what it would be like playing against the Sharks themselves, and something about the loss still sits heavy in Tyler’s chest, but now it feels more like a bag of bricks weighing him down instead of an entire elephant.

For lunch, they stop at a small diner and eat some of the best burgers Tyler’s ever had. They sit in the sunshine, the dogs eating their own lunch beside them and readily accepting praise from the locals who ask to pet them. It’s nice, easy. It’s how being with Jamie should be.

“Do you want to keep going?” Tyler asks when it’s nearing dinner time and the sun is low, the sky starting to turn shades of pink and orange.

“We could stop in Salt Lake?” Jamie suggests with a shrug. “Have one more hotel night? But then I was thinking tomorrow we could keep going. It’s about sixteen hours to Victoria from here. We could probably knock it out and then just crash the whole night.”

“Sounds perfect,” Tyler says, trying not to let the disappointment in his stomach sink. It’s strange to think that in just over twenty-four hours, this trip will be over. They’ll be in Victoria, two thousand miles away from where they started. Him and Jamie won’t be stuck in this liminal stretch of endless highway and sunny skies. They’ll be back to reality, back to face the sympathetic smiles of friends and families and the empty reassurances that next year it’ll be their year.

“I know it doesn’t feel like it, but we’re almost there,” Jamie says, smile crinkling his eyes at the corner.

Tyler tries to smile back.

\--

They decide to go out for dinner that night, Jamie choosing some local steakhouse with good online reviews. Tyler dresses a bit nicer than he has been the past couple days, throwing on the one jacket he brought over a button up that he leaves unbuttoned at the throat. Jamie dresses similarly, and it’s good seeing him cleaned-up and out of the Dallas t-shirts and shorts he’s been driving in.

The steakhouse is close enough to walk to from the hotel, so Tyler doesn’t feel guilty about ordering them both glasses of wine with dinner. Jamie’s not really a fan of wine, and Tyler’s mostly indifferent to it, but they’re dressed up at a nice restaurant, and maybe they’re not celebrating, but the night feels like it calls for a good bottle of wine.

Jamie starts going pink in the face by his third glass, his smiles coming bright and easy the more tipsy he gets. Tyler feels the same, the wine settling in his belly and making him looser and more giggly.

“I was a bit worried about this whole thing,” Jamie says when they’re almost done eating.

“What? The wine or the steak? Because both are fucking fantastic,” Tyler says, swiping the vegetables Jamie’s left neglected off his plate.

“No, the trip,” Jamie says, laughing. “I didn’t know how it would go. But it’s been - good. Like really good. I’m glad you came with me.”

“Me too,” Tyler says. “I think I was worried too. Thought it would be hard with you know -” he doesn’t say _playoffs_ but he knows that Jamie gets what he meant.

Jamie nods solemnly. “It has been. Like that part, it still sucks. A lot. But I think what we’re doing now, it’s helping. Because this doesn’t suck, y’know? I like this.”

Tyler smiles, not his usual goofy drunk-smile, but something a bit smaller, a bit more private. It’s a smile he gives Jamie a lot, he thinks, and it seems easy to pair it with his hand coming down to lie on top of Jamie’s on the table. It’s risky, maybe, but they’re in a city with no hockey during the off-season and Tyler’s a bit too drunk to care anyway.

“I like this too. Things are always good when I’m with you, Jamie.”

Jamie’s face flushes a deeper pink. He ducks his head, but he squeezes Tyler’s hand and it’s enough.

\--

Waking up the next morning is a lot harder than the morning before, and this time it’s Jamie who takes the dogs out, letting Tyler get a few minutes to himself before he drags himself out of bed and into the shower. It helps to clear out the dull ache in his head, and he’s glad that when Jamie gets back with Marshall and Cash, the dogs’ barking doesn’t make his temples pound.

“Ready for a long day on the road?” Jamie asks. He looks just about as tired as Tyler still feels, but if there’s one thing that Tyler’s sure of, it’s that that won’t ever stop Jamie. Tyler’s sure that with a few cups of coffee, Jamie will be ready to go like he’s had a full night’s restful sleep.

“Bring it on.”

Jamie takes them through most of Idaho, and they end up stopping in Boise so they can eat an early lunch and switch drivers. Tyler takes the next leg, driving through Oregon. He takes them through scenic drives where they can see mountains and greenery and rivers that they’d never find in Dallas. The weather is bright and beautiful and Tyler drives with the windows down, wind whipping through his hair and filling him with the kind of joy he usually reserves for his skates hitting a fresh sheet of ice. With Jamie smiling in the seat next to him, Tyler feels like he could just keep driving forever.

Tyler doesn’t let them switch again until they’re halfway through Washington, and only because Jamie insists Tyler can’t drive for twelve hours and because he wants to take them over the border into Victoria.

“How does it feel to be going home?” Tyler asks late into the night when they’re reaching Port Angeles for the ferry.

“To be honest, I was hoping I wouldn’t be back for at least another month,” Jamie says, face a bit blank. “I thought the next time I’d be here, it would be to spend my day with the Cup.”

Tyler presses down at weight on his chest, tries not to think about how he had imagined the same thing. But even when they were in Dallas, the idea of getting his hands on the Cup again felt more like a dream than anything else. Sitting in the press box, the idea of winning seemed so, so far away. And maybe there’s a dark, selfish part of Tyler that’s glad that this wasn’t their year, because when they do win, he wants to feel like he’s properly played his part, wants to feel like he’s proving himself.

The euphoria from earlier that day settles and nearly disappears as they load onto the last ferry crossing into Victoria. It’s chilly outside this late at night, but Tyler stands against the railing of the ferry anyway, a different feeling overcoming him as he looks up at the bright stars overhead and feels the cold sea air going through his hair.

“Have I thanked you?” Jamie asks, coming up beside him. He leans against the railing too, their arms pressed together just like the day in Amarillo. Marshall and Cash sit on either side of Tyler, looking out into the water as they press warm against his legs.

“For coming with you?” Tyler asks, laughing. “A few times, I think.”

“Well, then, again. Thank you,” Jamie says.

His face is really close, skin washed out in the lights of the ferry. He looks good, though, enough so to make Tyler’s breath hitch a little in his throat.

Tyler thinks maybe he should’ve been expecting it, that the last few days have been leading up to this, but he’s still a bit surprised when Jamie kisses him. It’s soft and quick, over before Tyler really understands that it’s happening, but it still leaves him breathless.

“I couldn’t imagine being anywhere else right now,” Tyler admits, face warming when Jamie smiles brightly.

The lights of Victoria twinkle in the distance, but they’re getting closer. Tyler’s not exactly sure what’s waiting for them once they get across the border, but he knows for sure it won’t be easy. Going home is never easy, and even if it’s not his own home, Tyler understands what’s going through Jamie’s head, what he’s probably feeling.

Tyler wraps his hand around Jamie’s wrist, squeezing softly, and Jamie responds by turning his palm, letting Tyler take his hand instead. Tyler hopes that whatever they have to do next, Tyler can help to make it just a little bit easier for Jamie.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! Comments and kudos are always appreciated. Please feel free to follow me on [Twitter](http://twitter.com/sunshinexbomb) or [Tumblr](http://tjoshov.tumblr.com)!


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